13 Years
by RoRo156
Summary: <html><head></head>Sarah Williams has been missing for 13 years. Where has she been all of this time? And what has Jareth done since her disappearance?</html>
1. Chapter 1

Hey all! So, just to get this out of the way, I do no own anything regarding Labyrinth, like nothing, which is too bad, because I'd do sooo much with Jareth...and Sarah too I suppose ;) All I really own are the original characters you will meet throughout this story. I do not give permission for use of my original characters unless you ask and I agree to it. Anyways, this is my first fanfic and reviews (both good and bad) are appreciated :) Enjoy the story! Hugs to you all :3

p.s. - sorry I forgot to mention this before, but the words that are in italics are thoughts that person is thinking.

Year 1, Day 1

Sarah awoke with a start. The first thing she noticed after her eyes shot open was that it was dark, very dark. So dark in fact that she couldn't see her hand in front of her face. Sitting up slowly, she groaned; her head ached and her whole body felt numb. Ever so slowly she rose to her feet and took a few tentative steps forward but stopped when she heard the rustling of chains. _What was that?.…..well, it stopped, maybe I'm imagining things. _

She raised her arms to feel for a wall to guide her. Her fingers brushed against a rough, cold surface and she quickly drew back her hand in surprise. _These walls are like ice! Well, at least I'm getting the feeling back in my hands…..but where in the world am I that the walls would be made of stone? _

She took another slow step forward and stopped once again at the sound of chains moving. _Is that...me? No, it can't be, why would I_…. Having a sudden thought, she reached down and felt around her ankles with her hands. She gasped sharply at what she found. There, around her right ankle, was a heavy, metal chain.

Her legs, feeling like jello, gave out and she fell to the floor. She sat up and put her head between her knees, rocking back and forth slightly as thoughts raced around her head. _What the hell! Why is there a chain on me? Where the hell am I?_ Realizing she would hyperventilate if she kept this up, she sucked in a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, then slowly released it. _Okay, what's the last thing I remember? Okay, I was in the park, then I ran home, Dad and Irene were going out, I had to babysit Toby…Wait, oh my god, Toby! I wished him away! I had to run the labyrinth to get him back! Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus, the Goblin King….The Goblin King! That's it! He must have been angry that I beat him! He must have locked me up for revenge!_

With newfound resolve, Sarah stood up, left hand brushing against the wall beside her and right hand out in front of her. Carefully walking forward, she ignored the rustling of the chain as it dragged along the ground behind her. After a few steps, her outstretched right hand came into contact with something cold and metal. _Metal bars? I really am in a dungeon then… _Continuing her exploration of the bars, she could find no hinges that would indicate that there was a door there_. Maybe one has to use magic to open it._

_Okay, let's switch to a different tactic, maybe I can hit the bars with something to attract someone's attention_. She felt along the ground for a loose stone. Finding none she sighed_. Well this sucks. I guess my only option is to yell and hope he hears me. _Sucking in a deep breath, Sarah yelled as loud as she could; "hey! Let me out of here! Do you hear me Goblin King? Let me out! I won your little game! You can't keep me here! I…." She trailed off as a thin horizontal line of light caught her attention. It seemed to be flickering but it was definitely getting brighter. "Hey is someone there? If that's you Goblin King, I swear when I get out of here…" Sarah stopped as she heard the sound of a key turning in a lock. Her heart pounded in her chest as she heard the creaking of an old door being opened, but had to turn her head at the sudden onslaught of light. Squinting her eyes, she turned her head back towards the door and saw a head looking at her from the other side. A small figure stepped into the room and Sarah gasped slightly. The figure was not the Goblin King at all, instead it was a small, thin girl carrying a torch. The girl slowly closed the door behind her then walked forward towards the bars of Sarah's cell, her tiny feet barely making a sound against the stone floor. "Please, you have to help me, I've been kidnapped and" Sarah stopped when the girl quickly raised a finger to her lips and looked back towards the door as if to make sure no one heard Sarah's yelling. "Don't worry my lady, I am here to free you, but we must do so quickly and quietly or The Master will catch us." Sarah was about to retort that she could handle anything the Goblin King threw at her but the scared look on the girl's face stopped her, so she simply nodded at her instead. The girl stepped back and whispered something Sarah couldn't understand then lightly touched one of the metal bars. The bars vanished and Sarah jumped back in surprise. The girl rushed over and did the same thing for the chain around Sarah's ankle and it too disappeared. "Now Lady Sarah, we must hurry, The Master must have sensed by now that something was happening". She grabbed Sarah's hand and pulled her towards the door, they reached it just in time for it to slam open, knocking both girls to the ground.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 is up people! Reviews appreciated! 3

A large man stood in the doorway, grinning down at them. "Ah if it isn't my trusty slave Enwin. Did you make a new friend Enwin? I see you even managed to free your new friend from her cell. I'll have to keep a better eye on your magic use in the future." The girl shrank back against the wall, her slight body trembling in fright. She mumbled something in a language Sarah couldn't understand and the man laughed, "your' pathetic dark elf spell does nothing against me Enwin." He crouched down and grabbed her by her long dark hair. "Now you listen here slave, so far I have been a kind master, I feed you, clothe you, and allow you free roam so long as you obey me. Now, do you think this little escape plan of yours pleases your master?" When she didn't answer he yanked her hair and smirked when she cried out in pain. "Master, please" she begged "please just let the lady Sarah go." He chuckled at her pleas and let go of her hair, then stood up and turned his gaze upon Sarah. Sarah's jaw dropped slightly; the man's eyes were black, no color or white to it, just black. He narrowed his eyes at her, "I see the lady Sarah still inspires loyalty, even here in the darkest of places."

Sarah, not one to be intimidated, looked up at the man and glared. "Who the hell are you? Why are you keeping me here?" He laughed at her and took a step forward so that he was almost on top of her. "I'd heard rumors of your' fiery spirit, and now I can see for myself that they were true. To answer your' first question, I am The Master, YOUR new Master. As for the second question, you will see why you are here tonight when you meet my guests." He rubbed his hands together as if in anticipation.

Sarah stood and continued glaring at him. "Now listen here, I have no master, I will never have a master, and you cannot keep me here, you have no power over me!" Whatever Sarah was expecting it certainly wasn't hysterical laughter. Suddenly, so fast that Sarah didn't have time to react, the still laughing man grabbed her neck and held her up in the air so that her toes barely touched the ground. Regaining his composure, the man straightened his back and squeezed Sarah's throat tighter. He leaned in so that his lips brushed against her ear as he spoke; "Now it's your turn to listen Sarah. You don't get to tell me what I can and cannot do. You are but a lowly slave and I am your Master. I don't care whether it be by choice or by force, but you WILL obey me. I own you, every part of you is mine to use as I please. I am not known for my mercy Sarah, and you try my patience." Sarah could barely hear him at this point and the world around her was going dark. When her eyes started to roll back into her head, he released her and dropped her to the floor where she landed with a thud. The man fiercely kicked the barely conscious girl in the ribs and marched towards the dungeon door and left the room, locking the door behind him.

Slowly but surely, Sarah's vision cleared and she could just make out the shape of Enwin kneeling over her. Her tiny hands, one over Sarah's throat and the other on her ribcage, were surrounded in a soft, golden glow. Sarah once again closed her eyes as the glowing became brighter and tried to just concentrate on breathing. When she started breathing easier she opened her eyes again and groaned. Enwin looked at her in concern, "hold still lady Sarah, I need to finish healing you…I'm afraid The Master crushed your trachea and broke a couple ribs. This may take a while. Try and rest." Sarah obediently closed her eyes and eventually drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

When Sarah opened her eyes again she noticed Enwin wasn't kneeling beside her anymore. Turning her head, she saw the girl curled up in a corner of the room. _She must be sleeping…_ Sarah sat up slowly, groaning slightly. Though her ribs still had a dull ache, they were definitely improved. _That's amazing, Enwin actually healed me…_

Deciding that she wasn't accomplishing anything by laying around, and after she determined that she wasn't going to pass out again, she carefully got to her feet to survey her surroundings. The room was sparsely furnished, though that didn't surprise her since it was a dungeon. The only furniture was a large wooden rectangular table in the middle of the room with chains attached to each corner. _To strap the prisoner down before the torture starts…._ Sarah shivered at the thought, praying she'd never experience that table first hand.

Enwin whimpered and stirred in her sleep. Sarah observed the small girl in front of her. She was wearing a short dress that appeared to be carefully stitched from rags. Despite the squalid conditions of the dungeon, the girl's pale skin and straight dark hair seemed to be relatively clean. _She must not live in a cell in the dungeon, or if she does she must at least have access to a bath… _

Returning her attention to the problem at hand, Sarah glanced around the room once more. _No windows which means the door is the only way out…_ Going towards the door, she reached her hand out to grab the doorknob, but stopped just before she touched it._ Come on Sarah, it's just a doorknob, he's not just going to be standing there on the other side waiting, plus it's most likely going to be locked anyways._ Talking herself into it, she grabbed the doorknob. The second her hand curled around the knob, she was thrown across the room by an invisible force. She yelped as her back slammed into the side of the wooden table causing it to topple over. Her head collided with the stone floor. She heard a cracking sound and could feel a small stream of warm blood pool on the floor underneath her head.

Enwin, awakened from her slumber from the sound, rushed over and knelt down so she was at Sarah's level. "Oh dear lady Sarah, what happened?" Sarah closed her eyes as the room spun around her, her head feeling like it was literally being split open. "Doorknob" she managed to whisper before passing out. Enwin looked down at her in pity and heaved a tired sigh, then gently turned Sarah's head to the side so the back of her head was visible. A gold glow once again encompassed her hands and she ever so gently placed them on Sarah's head so as to start the healing process.

After what seemed like no time at all, Sarah very slowly opened her eyes while fighting off the looming darkness of unconsciousness. Enwin still knelt above her, eyes closed, hands resting on Sarah's head. The more Sarah regained consciousness however, the more she realized that Enwin looked almost half dead. Her once perfect milky colored skin had an almost grey tinge to it, dark bags had developed under her eyes, and a very small trickle of blood had made its way out of her mouth and down her chin. Alarmed, Sarah sat up, ignoring the slight pain she felt in the back of her head. She gently put Enwin's arms down by her sides, causing the golden glow to diminish then fade away. "Enwin….Enwin, can you hear me?" The small elf's eyes slowly fluttered open and turned their attention to Sarah. "Enwin, are you okay, you don't look good…" Enwin lowered her eyes and raised her hand and wiped the blood from her mouth. "Lady Sarah, you should be resting", she said, her eyes still focused on the floor.

The dungeon door flew open. Enwin's and Sarah's eyes turned towards the man as he entered the dimly lit room. His booming laugh echoed throughout the chamber, making both girls flinch. "Enwin, you aren't looking very good are you?" Enwin raised her head defiantly, "I did what needed to be done." The man chuckled darkly, "and does 'the lady Sarah' know what you did?" Sarah turned to look at Enwin, "what does he mean? Enwin?" After a few seconds, Enwin looked over at Sarah for a moment then dropped her head as a tear escaped her eye. Sarah's mouth dropped open; in the few minutes she had been looking away, the girl's condition had deteriorated rapidly. Besides the now ashen color of the girl's skin, her eyes were clouded over and several trickles of crimson blood escaped from the corners of her mouth and dripped onto the stone floor. She looked almost dead.

Enwin raised her head again and made eye contact with Sarah, as if to convey the importance of what she was about to say. "My race, the dark elves, are skilled healers. Our most skilled healers can even bring a person back from the brink of death by healing their wounds. However, this gift does not come without a price. When…when one of my kind heals another being that is close to death, the healer's body…takes on the injuries of the other and eventually…dies. One life for another…..this is my gift to you, Lady Sarah." Enwin's eyes rolled back in her head and she slumped against the wall, unconscious.


	4. Chapter 4

Okay people, this chapter contains a little bit of mature material, not anything graphic, just a bit of "unwelcome attention"...you'll see what I mean. Anyways, if this material will offend you then please do not read it. Other than that, enjoy the chapter! :)

Sarah sat stunned by Enwin's words of sacrifice. Reaching over she brushed the petite girl's hair out of her face and wiped the blood away from her mouth. Suddenly remembering that they weren't alone, Sarah looked up at the man's imposing figure and frowned- the man was grinning, as if he was enjoying Enwin's pain. Sarah slowly rose to her feet and positioned herself in front of Enwin, ready to protect her if necessary. She raised her head and looked the man right in the eyes. "Let us go free, now." The man's grin turned into an angry frown. "I don't think you understand Sarah, you are never leaving here, you belong to me now, and I shall do with you what I wish, whenever I wish. In fact let's start now shall we?" With a swiftness Sarah didn't see coming, the man turned Sarah around and roughly pressed her body against the wall, then used one of his large hands to grab her arms and pin them above her head. Sarah, having an inkling of where this was going, started to thrash around and hyperventilate. She turned her head away from the wall she was facing and tried plead with the man; "Please, please don't do this!" The man snickered and proceeded to feel up Sarah's abdomen with his free hand. He made his way up Sarah's shirt to her bra. At this point Sarah was sobbing and thrashing against him even harder. He pressed his body against hers to hinder her struggling and lowered his head to the crook of her neck. He said something in a language Sarah couldn't understand then bit where her neck met her shoulder. His teeth sunk in and Sarah screamed as she felt a searing pain. All at once, the man released her then stood back as if admiring his work. Sarah, eyes squeezed shut and sobbing, shakily reached over and touched his bite mark only to quickly withdraw it when her hand met blood. She fell to her knees and slumped over, sick at the thought of what he'd done to her. "You see Sarah, you are powerless against me. That bite mark acts as a sort of magical brand, everyone who sees it will know you are mine and mine alone." Sarah, still trembling, looked up at him in shock. The man smirked as he looked down at her. "Don't worry the fun's not over yet, but for now, sleep." He waved his hand in front of her face and she fell into an unwilling sleep.

When Sarah awoke several hours later, she didn't move or even open her eyes right away. Listening for noises around her, she heard nothing except her own breathing. Opening her eyes a crack, she saw the room was now brightly lit, with several torches around the room. A shadow came across her face and she saw the man looking down at her, arms crossed with an angry expression on his face. "I know you're awake Sarah, now get up." After debating her options, she decided to stand up. The first thing she noticed was the wooden table in the middle of the room: Enwin lay on it, arms and legs chained to the table legs.

Sarah gasped and tried to run towards the dying girl, but was stopped by the man who grabbed her by her long hair. Sarah cried out but stopped struggling. Tears of despair ran down her cheeks and she looked up at the man, hoping he would listen to her; "please, please don't hurt her, she's already dying, please don't torture her!" The man laughed and released his grip on Sarah's hair; "No, Sarah, I'm not going to hurt her, not this time anyways. You, however, will." Confused and scared, Sarah looked over at Enwin before looking back at the grinning man; "I would NEVER hurt Enwin." The man scowled down at her; "we shall see about that. Now, Sarah, let me tell you something. That mark on your shoulder, while showing everyone you are mine, also allows me to control you. When I give you the command, YOU WILL be the one hurting dear Enwin today!"


	5. Chapter 5

Sarah gaped at the man then looked at her shoulder. The bite mark from the man's teeth was gone; the black ownership mark resembled some kind of writing and the area around it was turning purple and throbbed painfully. The man chuckled at the disbelief on her face; "it says 'property of The Master' in ancient fae. Only I will be able to control you through this mark as I am The Master. But enough talking, let's test it, shall we? Sarah…. obey your Master, kill the girl."

Sarah felt her entire body go numb and she crumpled to the ground. She tried to move her arms and legs but it was no use, she couldn't even move her eyes where she wanted them to go_. What? What's going on? I can't move! I can't hurt Enwin, I won't!_ Without warning, her body started painfully shaking and convulsing. "Tsk tsk Sarah" said the man standing above her, "stop trying to disobey your orders, the convulsing is a sign that your will is fighting with my orders, the pain will pass when your will loses to mine." _No! No! I can't! Enwin gave her life for mine, I can't betray her now! _

The man sighed; "I can see this will take a while…let me hurry things along. Sarah, obey me. NOW. Carry out my orders. Kill the girl." Sarah's body convulsed one last time, and although she wasn't controlling her legs, she felt herself stand up. She could see through her eyes that she was walking towards the table, but it was as if she were a prisoner trapped in her own body. _NO! Stop! Please! I beg you! Don't make me do this! _She felt herself stop in front of the table, in front of Enwin. The elfen girl looked dead, the only thing that told she was still alive was her chest moving as she breathed. The man stepped forward and pressed a large dagger into Sarah's hand. Sarah felt her hand grip the dagger and she saw her arm raise above Enwin's chest, ready to sink it into the poor girl's heart. Right as she was about to make the killing blow, Enwin's dark eyes opened. They slowly turned to look at the dagger above her heart then towards Sarah. She then did the last thing Sarah expected- she opened her mouth just enough to whisper to Sarah her last words: "I forgive you, my lady Sarah", then she smiled slightly and closed her eyes again as tears rolled down her cheeks. "NOW SARAH! DO IT NOW!" the man yelled in her ear. Sarah screamed inside as she felt the dagger push through Enwin's skin into her barely beating heart. Blood sprayed out onto Sarah's face and torso. Enwin arched her back and her mouth opened as she screamed. After a moment her scream died out and she fell flat again onto the table. Her muscles relaxed and a final breath escaped her lips.

Sarah crumpled to the ground, her body her own again now that her gruesome task was complete. On her hands and knees, her stomach heaved and she vomited all over the floor. The man growled and grabbed her hair, yanking her to her feet. Sarah looked up at him and saw the grin on his face; "congratulations Sarah, you've accomplished your first kill." Sarah, now enraged at his comment and his demeanor, gathered her courage and stood as tall as she could to confront him; "How could you make me do that?! She was my friend! And now she's dead, because of you!" Almost to the point of hysterics she clenched her fist and started to swing it towards the man's face. The man grabbed her fist in mid-air and crushed it in his hand, then grabbed her shoulder and wrenched it back so that her arm was forced painfully behind her. Ignoring the pain, she continued to beat on the man with her free hand. Uttering a low growl, the man released her arm and forcefully shoved her away. Sarah, laying on the stone floor soaked with Enwin's blood, wrapped her arms around herself and began to sob. The man marched over to Sarah and kicked her square in the jaw, knocking her flat on her back and rendering her nearly unconscious. With unfocused eyes and blurring vision, Sarah could just make out the form of the man hovering over her. "You will regret doing that Sarah. A lowly slave shouldn't even touch their master without his permission. I was going to leave you alone for the rest of the evening but I can see now that you will need extra lessons to learn your place as my slave. I will be back for you in a few hours to start your training…and your punishment." The man sneered at her then stood and made his way to the door. "Oh, and enjoy your evening, Sarah Williams." The door opened then slammed behind him. _I'm sorry Enwin….._ With that final thought, Sarah drifted away into the dark void of unconsciousness.

While I felt bad for killing Enwin, it was something that just had to be done. Next chapter features a short excerpt from Jareth :) Hooray!


	6. Chapter 6

Ok people, just to let you all know, this chapter (and all further chapters) have skipped a few years in time. So, Sarah has been a captive for 13 years, which means she will be acting a bit different that the Sarah we all know and love- at first anyways, she goes back to her normal fiery-tempered self later on.

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**Year 13, Day 2**

Jareth

Jareth sighed. It'd been a tough day for the Goblin king and the fact that he hadn't slept a wink the night before wasn't helping. He knew why he hadn't slept, of course, but there was nothing he could've done to prevent it. He groaned in exasperation. Some goblin was complaining about something or another at Jareth's feet. As king, Jareth should be listening to the plight of his people, but today…today was different…today was the anniversary of her disappearance 13 years ago. There was no way he'd be able to pay attention, even if he had wanted to.

Growling, Jareth stood up from his throne. The goblin who had been speaking ran off and cowered in a corner. The crowd of goblins waiting to voice their grievances quickly dispersed and moved out of Jareth's way. Not wanting to deal with anymore annoyances, he quickly teleported out of the room into his private chambers. After walking around his room, pacing, he glanced out the window at his labyrinth. _I suppose now is as good a time as any to do it… _

Sarah

Sarah awoke with a start. She quickly threw herself off of her bed and onto the dungeon floor and assumed her usual position: sitting on her knees, head down, eyes closed, hands folded in front of her. A perfect model of what a slave should look like. Usually Sarah used this time to clear her mind of all thought, just as the Master wanted it to be, but today certain thoughts wouldn't stop invading her mind. _It must have something to do with my dream last night...There was blood everywhere and people screaming… and a woman in white…._

The wooden door slammed open interrupting Sarah's thoughts. She didn't move, didn't even look up as The Master approached her- she knew by now that any movement would get her into trouble, not that she even wanted to move as the Master had trained her well years ago. The Master stopped right in front of her but she kept her head down to convey her submission.

"Look at me" the Master commanded. Sarah immediately raised her head and looked into his hypnotizing pitch-black eyes. "Your family is dead. I killed them long ago. I freed you from thought and responsibility. What do you say to your Master?" Sarah lay prostrate at his feet; "I thank you, my Master, for freeing me from my worthless life and allowing me to serve you." He patted her head. "Good girl, now let me reward you for your obedience." Sarah stood and looked at her gracious Master and smiled slightly; "thank you Master, what…"

A loud boom suddenly echoed through the castle. The Master swore and shoved Sarah aside; "We will have to continue this later after I deal with Asterion…" Sarah stood and bowed low towards him; "as you wish Master, I will await you here." The Master ran towards the dungeon door only stopping to close the Sarah's cell door; "I don't want you running off, he is here for you after all." Sarah looked up, surprised at his comment but dared not speak. The Master saw the surprise on her face, and turned to look at her as he opened the door to the dungeon; "yes, he is here for you, he requested use of your services and I refused. That, along with a dispute we had last night at the court meeting, triggered his attack today." With that, he turned and ran out the door, slamming and locking it shut behind him.

Sarah sat down on her bed, thoughts swirling. Sighing, she laid down and closed her eyes, confused at the events surrounding her. _I should be using this time to clear my mind so as to better serve The Master, but why is Master's most trusted ally attacking him? _

Without warning there was a huge explosion behind her, and something struck her on the back of her head. Sarah cried out in pain, and clenched her teeth and shut her eyes. She reached her hand back towards the wound, only for it to be soaked in blood. _I'm going to lose too much blood at this rate._ Opening her eyes, she was met with a bright light to her left and squinted at it. Through her blurring vision, she saw a giant hole where the dungeon wall used to be. _Does that lead outside?! I….I could escape!_ Sarah's eyes widened at the realization that she could possibly soon be free. _But The Master…I shouldn't risk it, he would catch me, especially in the shape I'm in…_ Sarah looked down at her barely clothed gaunt body sadly. _I shouldn't focus on what I used to be…this is who I am now…I am my Master's slave….but I don't have to be…I could escape, right here and now. _Sarah stood and walked towards the giant hole in the wall- dirt from above the underground dungeon had piled in, leaving a space just big enough for her to crawl through, then up through the dirt to the world outside. She tentatively put her right foot on the dirt, relishing the feeling of it between her toes. _If I was ever going to do this… now would be the time. _ She tore off the only real clothing she had on besides a bra and underwear, a skimpy dress made from dirty rags, then tied it to the back of her head to staunch the bleeding. Dizzily, she took a step forward. Now right in front of the hole leading to her freedom, she took a deep breath and held it. She rushed forward and clawed her way through the dirt. As she slowly progressed, more dirt would fall on her and hinder her progress. What felt like hours must have only been a few minutes. Sarah let out the breath she had been holding, and tried to inhale enough air to hold it again, but the air pocket she had been in before was now covered in dirt. Panicking, she clawed her way through the dirt to reach the surface. Just as her vision was blurring from lack of oxygen and her lungs felt like they were going to burst, her hand broke through the dirt. She forced her face near where her hand was and inhaled fresh, clean air. Reinvigorated, she forcibly pushed away the dirt to make the air hole larger. Her strength nearly gone, she slowly pulled herself from the hole onto the ground and flopped onto her back.

_I…I did it! I can' believe it! _Sarah smiled through her exhaustion and looked at the swirling clouds and snowflakes falling above her. Although she couldn't see it right now, she knew there was a clear blue sky behind those clouds, and that now she would be able to see it again as a free person. _I'm so exhausted, how am I going to escape? There's no way I could run from here to someplace safe… _ Now that she was paying attention she could hear sounds of fighting nearby_. Asterion must have gotten into the castle…The Master will be looking for me soon! And Master said Asterion was here for me so he will be looking for me as well! _

A wave of dizziness overcame her and she remembered the wound on the back of her head. With her dirt covered hand she felt that her makeshift bandage was gone._ It must've came off when I was digging. _In pain and unsure of what to do next, she tried to sit up but fell onto her back again. _So tired….No, I can't sleep…I've come too far to give up now… _Another wave of nausea washed over her and she knew she would not be able to get up again. In her peripheral vision she could see the intense red of the blood soaked snow around her head. _I'm dying…I'm going to die…Toby, mom, dad…..Jareth…I'll never see them again. _A single tear ran down her cheek and she closed her eyes tight, awaiting her inevitable fate. "…..Jareth, I'm sorry…" The second before she drifted into unconsciousness, a shadow passed over her and she heard a deep laugh, then everything went dark.

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She's finally free! Or is she ;) So did I do a good job representing Jareth accurately? Let me know in the comments :) Hugs to you all!


	7. Chapter 7

Hooray! A chapter just for Jareth! ;)

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Jareth

Jareth was in his labyrinth. Walking slowly with his head down, there was no need to look where he was going as he knew his creation like the back of his hand. Breathing in and out, concentrating on nothing. Twenty-six turns later and he had reached his destination. A large clearing lay ahead, protected by magic so only he could find it; the heart of the labyrinth. Hidden long ago, it lay empty for a thousand and three hundred years. That had changed thirteen years ago when he met her, Sarah Williams, the love of his life.

After she had beaten his labyrinth, he had secretly rejoiced as she was the first person to ever do so. But then she had refused his offer and returned home, leaving him empty and broken. He had decided a half hour after she had left that he wasn't giving up so easily. He had changed into his owl form and flew to the aboveground to beg her for a second chance. He had been close to her house, right down the street, when a huge explosion sent shockwaves into the air, knocking him off course. He had righted himself and flew back up into the sky. What he saw had changed his life. Sarah's house had exploded. Pieces of it lay everywhere in neighboring yards and in the street. Nearby car alarms were going off and neighbors poured out into the street to watch in horror.

Jareth circled around and landed in a discreet spot in a nearby yard and changed back into his normal form. He ran towards what was left of the house. All of the windows and doors had blown out, so he dove straight into the flames, using his powers to shield him, and looked for Sarah and her family. First he tried to run to the upstairs where Sarah would have most likely been but the stairs had collapsed. Not caring if anyone saw him, he had levitated himself up to the second story, where he ran directly to Sarah's room. Everything was on fire, her precious books were nothing but ash. Sarah was nowhere to be found, not even her burning body. _Maybe she wasn't in her room…_ he had thought. He had run through the upstairs rooms, only finding what was left of Sarah's stepmother. Sirens had sounded in the distance, but over the sound of them he could just barely hear a deep voice screaming for help. Jumping from the second story, he crashed through the first floor and landed with a thud in the basement.

Smoke blocked his vision and he was not able to see for several seconds. Crouching closer to the ground, he could just make out the form of a person in the distance. Jareth called out and the person's head swiveled towards him. "Is someone there" the person, who Jareth deduced was Sarah's father, yelled. "I'm here to help sir" Jareth had said as he crawled closer. Upon reaching him though, Jareth could tell he wasn't going to make it. All of his body was covered in severe burns. "Please" he had strained to say through his pain and the roar of the surrounding fire, "my son…." He had slowly sat up and Jareth saw hidden in his lap, was Toby. Jareth had reached out for the unconscious boy and quickly took him from his father's arms. "Have you seen your daughter?" Jareth asked, not sure if he wanted to know the answer. Sarah's father shook his head "her room….." was all he managed before he collapsed and heaved his last breath, his body once again consumed by the flames. Jareth cradled the boy in his arms and levitated them upstairs. Just as he was about to exit via the front entryway, a fireman came into view calling out for survivors. Jareth flew towards the back entryway and ran outside. He used his magic to quell the flames in one area of the yard and turned the grass green again. He tenderly placed the boy on the spot and yelled out for help, ensuring Toby would be found. He turned back into his owl form and flew to a nearby tree watching the scene unfold before him. The boy was found right away and was taken away in an ambulance. It took the firemen several hours to put out most of the fire. He had seen when Sarah's father and step-mother had been wheeled out in body bags. He had still been there when the bomb inspector arrived and decided that the blast had originated in Sarah's room. After that, he couldn't watch any longer. He had changed back into an owl and flown back to his labyrinth, to the very spot he was standing in now. He had, for the first time in his long life, wept- wept for his lost love.

Jareth let out a sad sigh. _It's really been thirteen years… _ Kneeling down, he conjured a small crystal to his awaiting hands. Inside was a small plant, a rose to be exact. He crushed the crystal in his hand, freeing the perfectly preserved plant inside. With his other hand he dug a small hole in the dirt in front of him, then carefully placed the delicate plant inside it. His yearly ritual finished, he stood and looked around at all of the roses surrounding him. Some were normal colors like red, pink, yellow, and white. But the ones he planted every year, on this day only, were a very rare rose. This rose, once it bloomed, was similar to a marvelous green crystal, except it was a living thing and grew just as any other rose would. The green symbolized the color of his lost love's eyes.

A small whisper infiltrated Jareth's thoughts. "Jareth, I'm sorry…" Jareth cocked his head slightly, listening for more, but nothing came. Standing up, he closed his eyes and used his powers to try and locate the sound of the unknown voice. He pinpointed it to an abandoned region to the north. _That's odd. No one has lived there for about 2000 years since the Unseelie court went underground… Who would be calling me from there? _ Curious, he decided to go check it out. He quickly changed into his owl form and took to the skies.

About an hour later he landed right around where the fay calling him had been. It was obvious there had been a battle in the surrounding area; there was blood everywhere and bodies littered the ground. The problem with that however, was those bodies were not fay_. Minotaur's? I thought they went extinct thousands of years ago….I suppose the Seelie court should know about this…. _A sudden thought hit him; _If these bodies are all minotaurs, then who was calling me? There must be a fay around here somewhere…. _

Searching the area, he came across a blood soaked patch of snow; _that's a lot of blood_ he mused _someone must've had a serious head wound_. There was a trail leading away from it as if someone had been dragged through the snow and into the surrounding forest. Since Jareth constantly used his magic to track the runners in his labyrinth, he had become somewhat of a self-taught expert in sensing his targets. _This is where the fay that contacted me was… _ He swiftly changed back into his barn owl form and took off for the forest where the trail led.

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Poor Sarah's family! Luckily our hero Jareth was there to save Toby. Tell me what you thought of the chapter in the comments :) Hugs!


	8. Chapter 8

Sarah

Sarah slowly started to open her eyes, then quickly shut them again, her eyelids feeling like there were 100 pound weights attached. Although her eyes were closed she was becoming more aware of her surroundings; the clanking of armor, men talking amongst themselves, and the rough swaying of being carried over someone's shoulder. _Where am I? Where is The Mas… Oh, wait, I remember now, I escaped._ Struggling to reopen her eyes she accidently moved her head, alerting her captor to her awake state.

"So you are awake now, my new slave."

Sarah shuddered as she heard the familiar gruff voice; "Asterion…"

The giant minotaur roared with laughter; "you see men, she already recognizes me as her new master!" The men who Sarah couldn't see laughed loudly with their leader. "Don't worry slave, I will be far more strict than your last master, and you will have no opportunity for escape where we're going." He chuckled slightly as she squirmed in his grasp.

"Please, Asterion, let me go…" The minotaur stopped walking and turned his head towards her; "just because you escaped from your last master doesn't mean you will escape from me, I am the son of the first Minotaur, and you will fear me!" He shook her to prove his point then resumed walking.

A loud screech sounded above them and Asterion stopped to look up. "It's just a stupid owl" he snorted, then kept walking. Sarah squirmed in her captor's arms trying to get loose, but to no avail. "Settle down slave, you don't want to be hit do you?" He chuckled as Sarah huffed in indignation.

"Stop calling me slave, my name is Sarah!"

Asterion stopped, groaned, then dropped Sarah to the ground where she landed with a thud. "You know, slave, I remember when I first met you, you had this fire inside you. Then the Master beat you into submission. And now that some of your fire has returned, it's finally my chance to train you." He grinned evilly from above her, and drew his leg back, about to kick her.

Jareth

"My name is Sarah!"

The name echoed in Jareth's brain over and over_. I must've finally lost it, I must not have heard right. She can't be Sarah…Sarah's dead, I saw the fire, I was there when the bomb inspector said the blast had originated in her room, she couldn't have survived that…._ A deeper part of his brain argued with him: _They never found her body though_….

Jareth swooped down to hear the rest of their conversation, but when the minotaur drew back his leg to kick the poor girl, he knew he had to intervene whether it was Sarah or not. Screeching again, he dive bombed the lead minotaur and scratched and clawed at it's face, effectively distracting it from the girl. The minotaur roared in anger and swatted blindly at Jareth, eventually grabbing him by one of his wings and snapping it. Jareth fell to the ground, wing broken. Deciding he had no choice but to reveal himself, he changed back into his normal fay form. He stood before the minotaur cradling his broken arm, his eyes blazing in anger. The minotaur who called himself Asterion, stopped for a second then burst into laughter at the opponent before him. "Ah if it isn't one of the mighty fay! Have you come to stop me, oh mighty one?"

Jareth stood his ground; "I am here on behalf of the Seelie court to investigate a disturbance in this area, and it seems I've found one."

Asterion scoffed, calling Jareth's bluff; "If you were here from the Seelie court, you would not have been sent here alone, and yet here you are all by yourself. No, I think you are here for this one" he said gesturing towards Sarah.

Jareth didn't even look in her direction so as to not be distracted from the fight he could sense was coming. "I suppose I am" Jareth said, his face neutral.

Asterion huffed impatiently; "enough of this talk, either leave us to our own devices, or be prepared to fight me and my army."

Jareth calmly held out his remaining good arm to his side then used his magic to summon a sword from the armory back at his castle. The sword appeared in his outstretched hand and he tightly gripped the handle. "Give me the girl and I will spare you and your men, if not….prepare yourself for death."

Asterion snorted in disbelief then laughed boisterously at Jareth's statement. "I will enjoy crushing you, puny fay!" With that, he took the giant double-sided axe off of his back and charged towards Jareth.

Sarah

Sarah watched in awe as the owl changed into the very man she had longed to see for 13 long years. Asterion charged towards Jareth. He swung his axe towards Jareth's head, but Jareth rolled out of the way just in time.

Watching Jareth fight was like watching a majestic dance, twisting and turning, never once tripping over his feet, evading all of Asterion's clumsy blows while managing to place precise ones of his own.

One stab behind his knee, and Asterion went down, the tendons holding him upright cut to shreds. Asterion, sensing his inevitable defeat, managed to stand up and charge one last time towards his opponent. Jareth ran towards him as well, rolling underneath Asterion's giant legs so that he was behind him. Asterion stopped and turned and charged once more. He swung his axe towards Jareth one last time. Jareth, seeing an opening, stabbed upwards towards the minotaur's unguarded chest, going right through the heart. Jareth leapt out of the way as Asterion fell with an enormous ground shaking thud, his blood drenching the surrounding snow.

"Who are you" he gasped, almost to the point of death.

Jareth stood before his fallen enemy and smirked, "I am Jareth, the Goblin King, your' superior."

Asterion growled; "I have heard of you Goblin King, heard of your prowess in battle…..take your prize and go." The minotaurs holding Sarah released their grip on her slowly, as if not believing what their leader had said.

Jareth carefully made his way towards her, keeping his guard up in case Asterion changed his mind. Sarah stood and took a step forward to test her balance. Jareth stopped right before her and held out his hand, inviting her to take it. Wasting no time, she ran to him and embraced him. He appeared startled, if only for a second, then wrapped his arms around her and teleported them away.

Sarah awoke in a dark room. _Please don't let that have all been a dream…_ She turned her head towards the only light source- the moon shining through an open door. The door was open allowing a gentle breeze to circulate through the room. _This is the comfiest thing I've laid on in years….Wait…_ Realizing she was in a bed, she quickly shot up and half stood and half fell out of it, culminating in her landing on the ground. She heard the sound of footsteps and a dark form came from around the other side of the open door. _Where is the moon when I need it?... _"Who…who's there" she whispered. The dark figure came towards her and Sarah started breathing rapidly and tried to move away from them. The figure stopped as if sensing her panic and knelt down to her level. At that moment the moon came out from behind a cloud, and all of Sarah's panic ceased. The figure was Jareth, the moon shining off his platinum-blonde hair gave him away. Still kneeling, he raised his hand and snapped his fingers and light filled the room. Sarah released the breath she had been holding and looked up at him in disbelief. _It wasn't a dream…this is real…. _Jareth looked down at her laying on the wood floor and chuckled; "you were supposed to be resting." Sarah, unsure of what to say, just nodded and smiled meekly.

Jareth's face became serious again; "Sarah…is it really you?" he asked, his voice no more than a whisper. Sarah opened her mouth but couldn't find her voice so she just nodded again. Jareth stood suddenly, but bent back over and quickly picked her up into his arms, bridal style. He ever so gently placed her fragile form back into the bed. Sarah began to protest but he held a finger up to her lips, silencing her; "you need to rest. A healer will be here early tomorrow to oversee your injuries." With that he pulled the sheet and blanket up to her chin. He moved his hand toward her face and brushed away a dirty strand of hair. He rested his hand on her cheek for a moment as if ensuring she was really there, but then he pulled it away as if he was still unsure. He turned and walked towards the door, but turned around when he reached it to look at her one last time; "I will be close by. All you have to do is say my name and I will be by your side. Sleep well." And then he was gone. Sarah closed her eyes, thinking of all that had transpired recently; e_scaping, then being captured, then being saved, it's all happening so quickly….for 13 years nothing happened and then all at once…._ Sarah yawned. _Well, I suppose getting some rest couldn't hurt…. _She turned to her side and gazed through the open door at the full moon, not knowing that just outside her room on the railing of the balcony sat Jareth in owl form, watching her as she slept.


	9. Chapter 9

Jareth

Jareth sat on the balcony all night, waiting for morning when the healer was supposed to arrive. Jareth ruffled his feathers as he thought. Around the thirteenth hour, Sarah began to stir in her sleep and whimper. Hopping up from his spot on the railing, Jareth flew through the open door and landed on the bedside table. The moon went behind a cloud but he could still see due to his superior night vision. Through the dark he could see that she rolled over and faced towards him. Her eyes flickered open and she looked up at him and smiled then fell back asleep. _Is it really you Sarah?…After all this time? _

Morning approached quickly after that. A quiet knock at the door stirred Jareth from his thoughts. He changed back into his fay form and quickly walked towards the door, then quietly opened it and walked out into the hall corridor. In front of him stood an old female goblin- he thought her name was Thimble, but he wasn't completely sure. "The healer is here, majesty, would you like me to show him in?" Jareth usually was tolerant of the annoying creatures, but for the few older ones that served in his castle he was civil and actually nice to. The goblin cleared its throat, grabbing Jareth from his thoughts. "Oh, yes, show him in. Allow me a few minutes to wake her". The goblin nodded and walked off down the long hallway to fetch the healer. Jareth reopened the bedroom door walked into the bedroom, closing the door behind him. Walking up towards the bed he noticed something was amiss: Sarah was nowhere to be seen. Hearing a sniffle coming from his left, he turned towards the balcony.

Sarah

Sarah heard a door close. Awakened from her slumber, she opened her eyes, then quickly shut them again, surprised by the onslaught of light that assaulted them. Sitting up in the bed she felt a gentle breeze and saw that the light was coming from an open door leading to a large balcony. She stood up slowly to test her balance. On the edge of the bed was a dark green silk robe; she grabbed it and tightly wrapped it around her, then walked over towards the balcony. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the view: the labyrinth lay before her. Its walls and sharp turns creating shadows in the rising sun. Beyond the labyrinth lay a rocky landscape, and in the distance lay huge snow-capped mountains. It was beautiful. Sarah wrapped her arms around herself; _It's all too much…I've missed too much…too much of my life spent as a slave… _

A hand touched her shoulder and she jumped and spun around. Jareth stood behind her, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Are you all right?" he asked quietly.

Sarah sniffled and hung her head; "I-I'm fine, thank you for your concern… your majesty."

Jareth sighed and reached out his hand making Sarah flinch. He touched her chin and gently lifted her head up. She kept her eyes averted as she had been trained. "Look at me please." His voice was so gentle and full of compassion that she forced her eyes to look at his face. She studied him for a moment; the upward curve of his brow, his high cheekbones, and his mismatched eyes- one brown, one blue. He frowned slightly at her reluctance; "I'm going to ask you some questions, alright?" Sarah nodded and looked back at the floor. "Alright, let's start with some easy ones…What is your' name?"

Sarah jerked her eyes back up to his face; "Wha-what do you mean? You know me….I mean, maybe you don't remember me but-" Sarah stopped when Jareth gently covered her mouth with his finger.

"Please" he said moving his finger away "humor me. What is your name?"

Sarah looked at him confused but decided to answer; "Sarah. Sarah Jennifer Williams."

Jareth nodded his approval; "now, tell me Sarah Williams, do you know where you are? Do you know who I am?" Sarah tilted her head, still confused as to why he was questioning her, "I am in the Labyrinth, in the underground…..and you, you are the Goblin King, king of the Labyrinth."

"What is my name Sarah Williams? Do you know my name?"

Sarah noticed his clipped tone, as if he were anxious or losing patience; "Jareth. Your name is Jareth."

He nodded again, slower this time. "Now I will ask you some questions only you will be able to answer. First, what did I offer you before your last visit in the Labyrinth?"

Sarah thought for a moment then remembered the answer; "my dreams. You offered me a crystal that would reveal my dreams…if I forgot about my brother."

Jareth grimaced slightly but quickly went back to his normal composure "which leads me to my next question...your family, what are their names?"

Sarah smiled slightly at the thought of her family; "…Toby is my brother…well I suppose he's really my half-brother. My father is Robert. My mother is Linda. My… step-mother is Irene."

"Yes, very good. Almost done. Now, tell me what happened when you ate the enchanted peach."

"I-I guess I fell asleep and I dreamed of a magnificent ball. There were people dancing and you…you danced with me and then you sang a song to me…"

Jareth nodded as if encouraging her to continue; "And do you remember the words I sang to you?"

Sarah's heart dropped a little; "I-I..not all of them…I'm sorry…" she lowered her gaze, afraid of what he would say.

"Sarah" he said slowly, "you do not have to say them all, I only want to see what you remember."

Sarah kept her gaze on the floor as she spoke; "I don't remember full lines but…..I remember you saying at the end that you would be there for me as the world fell down…."

Jareth suddenly moved forward and grabbed her, holding her close to him; "yes, Sarah, I will be there for you…always."

Sarah's breathing hitched as she tried to hold back a sob. A quiet knock saved her from breaking down. She and Jareth both looked over to the half open wooden door which led back to the bedroom where an older man and a goblin stood.

The goblin coughed lightly then spoke; "brought him to you, majesty, just like you said to do."

Jareth nodded; "yes, very good Thimble. You may continue your duties." The goblin bowed then exited the room.

The elderly man turned towards Jareth and bowed towards him then smiled broadly; "Your majesty, it is good to see you again after so many years. You are looking well. Are you sure you are in need of the services of this old man?"

Jareth bowed his head towards the man and smiled; "It is good to see you as well Galen, you look as if you have not aged a day. As for your services, this young lady here requires them immediately, if you have the time that is."

The man known as Galen looked down at Sarah as if noticing her for the first time; "Ah yes. And who might you be, milady?"

Jareth answered before she could even open her mouth; "Her name shall remain anonymous for now, my apologies. She is in danger unfortunately. This means I will have to ask for your complete silence on everything that goes on here,"

The man nodded his understanding; "yes, of course, your majesty. What would you like me to do first?"

Jareth looked down at Sarah as he spoke; "start with a preliminary exam, full body, if you don't mind of course Sarah.

Sarah broke eye contact and looked down at herself, knowing what the man would find; "I don't mind" she said softly.

The old man nodded; "alright, I will do that right away." He held out his hand towards Sarah, waiting for her to take it.

Sarah looked up at Jareth who smiled encouragingly and gestured towards the man. Sarah took the man's hand and he led her back into the bedroom. Jareth closed the door to the balcony behind him and walked towards the door leading to the hallway.

Sarah panicked a little inside knowing she'd be alone with a strange man. Jareth, as if sensing her feelings, turned back towards her; "don't worry, I will be nearby, if you need me all you have to do is say my name and I will come to you." He then walked out into the hallway and quietly shut the door behind him.

The old man looked over at Sarah and smiled at her. He walked over to the bed and gestured for her to sit. Warily, she walked over to the edge of the bed and sat down. The old man gently took her hands in his; "Now, milady, my specialty is in healing, of both mind and body. Would you allow me to examine you?"

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Hope everyone is enjoying the story so far :) Be sure to review- it helps motivate me!


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